6.30.2011

Keihl's is opening it's first ever stand alone spa on the Upper East Side of NYC. I have never been to the city that never sleeps, but after reading about some of the specifics I dreaming of an afternoon of bliss:

6.28.2011

I was lucky enough to visit my OB/GYN recently. (It was NOT a prenatal visit!) The practice has recently switched over to digital scales that are within the private exam rooms. Let me add that while I was pregnant with both of my boys, the scale was public (VERY public) and totally old school. You know. Slide-tap, tap, tap......tap! I never looked and still have no idea how much weight I gained with either one of them. I digress.

At my visit, I learned something down right shocking. I noticed a simple chart taped to the back of the door. Listed in one column was the examination room numbers. The column next to it indicated a plus or a minus along with a number. Perplexed, I asked the medical assistant, charged with recording my weight, about this curious document. Her response left me utterly speechless. "Oh, all of the scales are inaccurate. So, in some of the rooms we have to add pounds and in others we subtract." Uh..............

Let me get this straight. The scales that can crush a woman's spirit in one quick, digital read out are inaccurate? Correct me if I am wrong, but it is painful enough being weighed at the doctor. I am thinking they may need to invest in some new scales. OR, better yet....

Let us all weigh ourselves at home before we eat and put our clothes on. If need be, we can take a digital image of the scale and bring it with us as proof. This will put an end to the shocking moment when the number on the office scale doesn't match the scale at home, while completely eliminating this addition game they are playing.

Stand together on this ladies. There are some things worth fighting for!

6.27.2011

How great is this speaker case? With a rugged, rubberized body you can protect any mp3 (which also includes ipod, iphone, DROID, and Blackberry) and play music at the beach, pool or anywhere else your summer takes you. It connects to your player or phone through the headphone jack. It is water proof and runs on 3 AAA batteries. Plus, the Eco Extreme, comes in 6 kick ass colors!

I am thinking the orange or green would look great in my LL Bean beach bag.

6.25.2011

If you watch True Blood on HBO, you know what I am talking about! I was literally hooked on this show after the first episode. All my favorites are back on Sunday night for the Season 4 premier. The story lines are ridiculously fun. But let's be honest, it doesn't hurt that the men of True Blood are ridiculously HOT!

My top picks:

Sookie's love, Bill Compton- "The Classic"

Sookie's forbidden, Eric Northman- "The Bad Boy"

Sookie's werewolf protector, Alcide Herveaux- "A Girl's Best Friend"

Of course there could not be an anticipated premier, without a few product endorsements.

Tarte for True Blood-Limited Edition Cheek Stain.
(I have used this cheek stain in a different hue and it is perfect for just a touch of color.)

I love this product description on sephora.com :Have you spent eternity in search of an everlasting glow? Meet your maker. Inspired by the hit HBO® series True Blood™, this sparkling red cheek stain blends on smooth and lasts from dawn to dusk and well into the night. One drop is all you need to create a crave-worthy natural luminescence for all skintones and types. Like all Tarte products, this lusty natural stain will do good things to you thanks to natural mineral pigments and fruit extracts. Tune in to the new season of True Blood™, Sundays at 9/8c. Only on HBO®.

6.24.2011

Even on the coolest of June days, it adds a bit of sun. I decided this summer not to pay for one single pedicure. I sunk $8 for the bottle of polish at my local beauty store and have been painting my own toes. I got tired of paying $35+ , just to have a crazy boy run a scooter over my foot and chip the paint.

My wonderful friend Jen found the secret to the perfect "at-home paint job." One swipe of Seche Vite as the top coat and it looks like a you paid someone else to do it! My toes are proof.

What you will you do with the money you save from skipping spa pedicures?

6.23.2011

New and great! Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect sunscreen. Offered in SPF 20, SPF 40, and After Sun lotion. The ingenious addition of mica minerals gives this sunscreen a shimmery finish. Those "magic minerals" evens out and highlights your skin tone (seeming to make those first days of summer a little less painful). Field tested on Tuesday (when the temp crept above 60), it is also waterproof. Added bonus...it has the classic tropical coconut scent. Remember the scent we used to enjoy when we poured on the oil (SPF 0) and baked all day? Yep, that one! Maybe the best part-you can pick it up at almost ANY local drugstore or even the grocery store!

6.22.2011

Carefree livin'. The dog days of summer. Kick back and relax. Summer fun. Yes indeed, all true. There isn't any other season quite like it and it is my all time favorite. But ask any mother and it is also physically and emotionally EXHAUSTING!

Although the first day of the season is the Summer Solstice, it officially begins with an 11am dismissal and doesn't stop until the first day of school. My boys and I hit the ground running on Monday morning..more like sprinting. I just completed day 2 of our summer and I am ready for a back-up mom to come in for a few rounds. With everyone home all day, the food prep is intensified, the dishwasher runs on overdrive and those little treasured moments I had to myself vanish. Admittedly, it does take some time to wrap my head around the reality that I will be playing tour guide, camp counselor, and referee for two insanely active boys.

I will be filling that role for 10 weeks. Yet, all my other duties remain. How do I forget from year to year that I will have no time to grocery shop? No time to do the laundry or return a phone call in peace. Workouts get moved to 6am and the constant question remains (yet for some reason is insanely more difficult to answer). What is for dinner?!?

I do love (LOVE with a capital L) summer, so ready or not- we are in the thick of it. I just need to finish my post (which I find I am writing after 9pm every evening) and get ready for tomorrow. The meals, the snacks, tennis rackets, swim trunks, clean towels. I really should start a checklist, but that is way to organized for summer.

6.21.2011

Once upon a time, there was a most perfect pair of sweats. They were made of velour, in the glamorous U-S of A. They had a silly kind of name-Juicy Couture. But after the first time you slid into them....you were hooked. Even at the hefty price tag of $80 or more....one could not resist. Then something went astray. The price remained the same, but the quality diminished (dramatically) and sparkles and bling were added to the seat. Ummm, not such a good look for me. So began the search for the new perfect pair of sweats.

Enter Alternative Apparel!

These sweats are light weight, comfy and easy! My favorite are the crop pant. Best of all, they don't cost a fortune. Alternative Apparel actually has it all. T's, sweatshirts, skirts, sweats, hoodies, and on and on. I have found items at small boutiques and at Nordstrom. If you don't have time to go on a search, visit them at the world wide web. Nothing better than doing a little shopping .....in your sweats! http://www.alternativeapparel.com/

6.20.2011

It is birthday season in my home. Such a season brings the ever contentious subject of the goodie bag. If you do not currently have young children, you may not be aware of this sweeping, festering epidemic that has mothers up at all hours of the night. Stamping, cutting, creating, searching on line for the perfect receptacle and all the goods that go into it! There are an astonishing 35 pages on Etsy for birthday goodie bags.

How did this madness begin? I cannot be the only one that loathes their existence. Giving or receiving! I think most modern day mamas, like myself, take the least expensive route to stuff these damn things. $1 Store or Oriental Trading Company treasures are go-to items. Of course, as soon as they are opened-the items break or are forgotten on a playroom floor (perfect land mines for mom to step on with bare feet). On the flip side, if you don't use the above mentioned discount suppliers, these parting gifts will set you back a pretty penny. There in lies the quandary....

I figured it out. Why not add up the amount you would spend on EVERYTHING you would need to give a goodie bag and add that to what you spend on the party? The kids still benefit, the cost is the same, and the work is minimal. Isn't that what we should all aim for? Less work, more fun. Who's on board? (Please say all of you.)

6.19.2011

"Love ya, babe! I hit the jackpot to be traveling down this insane highway (sometimes the wrong way) called parenthood with you. You are the ying to my yang. Thankfully, the boys don't know that we are just wingin' it 99% of the time! But, mostly, thank you for being the one I can laugh with at the end of the day when they are finally in bed."

(My Ward, quite awhile ago. oh, how I love these boys.)

Most days I feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world. I bet you feel the same way!

6.16.2011

With the summer solstice just around the corner, I have found my self dreamin'. Not California Dreamin', but dreamin' of some babies. If you have ababy, then you know what I am talking about. Seattle is home to the greatest gift west of the Mississippi. Glassybaby, could single handily, make most girls smile big. Even one by itself, perks up a shelf, makes a mantle shine, or soothes a day worth of worries. A simple tea light, a match, and you are good to go! But a whole grouping of them......

This set, summer of love, would be a total indulgence. Here's to dreamin'!

Never been to a glassybaby store? Put it on your summer to do list.
Live too far away? glassybaby forever

Late addition to this post (My timing was impeccable!):

The glassybaby Seconds Sale is on June 18th. Doors open at 10 am at 3406 East Union Street, 98122. Thousands of glassybaby with slight imperfections will be for sale for $26 each (drinkers will be $32. each).

Free shipping on full priced glassybaby this Saturday for all of the out-of-towners who are unable to attend our Seconds Sale. Please use the code "freeship" at checkout on June 18th.

6.15.2011

The rights have been purchased and a new animated series may be in the works. Oh, baby! Got cash in on that cow just one more time. What was on your Christmas list in 1983? If it was a CPKid, your mom and dad were fighting and kicking other crazy parental types in line for the coveted "must have" gift of the season. Never had one, which doesn't mean I didn't ask for one. The thing I remember the most about the CPKid is the smell. Do you remember it? Baby Powder? Not certain, but it was unmistakable FOR SURE. That is how you knew you had a real one! (That, along with the signature on the ass and the adoption certificate.)

Can you imagine what parents would have paid for a Cabbage Patch Kid if eBaby, I mean eBay, was around?

6.14.2011

The actress’s first ad for the company’s “Core Values” campaign was released today, featuring the star afloat on a boat in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province. Wearing her own clothes, no makeup and her own years-old monogrammed Alto bag, Jolie looks at peace in her photograph.

Agreed. She does, in fact, look at peace. Angelina is strikingly beautiful. However, no make up? Uh...... don't think so.

I am a woman who drops her kids at school, hits the gym, picks up the dry cleaning, and does the daily grocery shopping- all SANS makeup. Don't get me wrong, I do own make up and love "putting on my face" (as my mother refers to it.) Luckily, my life doesn't insist that I be camera ready every time I leave the house. Poor JLo and Eva. I am sure they were not ready for an impromptu photo shoot, but I for one love these shots! Still stunning with that gorgeous, olive skin.

Oh, one more thing. Totally love Terri Hatcher. She takes the pictures herself (just getting out of the shower) and posts them. How brave is she? I delete all the bad pictures of myself and certainly only post the most flattering!

6.13.2011

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who has been under fire after admitting to inappropriate communications with women online, has decided to seek treatment "to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person," his spokeswoman said Saturday.

For Huma Abedin, I have nothing but compassion. While her husband, Mr. Congressman, faces the onslaught of reporters seeking the latest in his scandalous sexting and canoodling, she must privately endure embarrassment, betrayal, and anger. To add insult to injury, all while in the early stages of her first pregnancy. I am sure her closest girlfriends have rallied around her (and are probably-not too secretly-planning Anthony's demise).

On a lighter note, this statement brings a smile to my face. He is entering treatment to become a better husband? Where is this facility and how much do they charge? Maybe the doctors offer weekend stays for men that aren't habitual liars, but just need to brush up on their husbandry skills. The staff should also consider a boot camp for men who are newly engaged. A week long stay to teach them everything they will need to be a great husband. How great would this be? "Oh honey, the ring is amazing and your proposal was SO romantic. I have heard of this GREAT place!"

6.10.2011

I so desperately want summer to arrive! If you live in the Northwest, you know what I'm talkin' about. We are all hoping that warm weather will come to stay (not just visit). What is better than ice cream in the evening after a long summer's day?

Check out this kitchen wonder! Yonanas! Clever name and super healthy alternative to ice cream. You simply freeze bananas and then run them through the counter top appliance. PRESTO! Frozen banana "ice cream" without the cream or sugar. You can also add other fruit to the banana base to WOW up the flavor. There is even a recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly. I bet that would be a crowd pleaser! For the adult crowd, why not soak the banana in dark rum before freezing? Too fun, right?

Anyone have a Yonanas? I am dying to know if it is worth the splurge. (A splurge in dollars, not calories.)
Gotta have one? http://www.yonanas.com/

6.09.2011

Is there one word that describes you? I know there are many, many words that describe each of us, but is there ONE that stands out among all the others? I thought of this yesterday as I was shopping for a swimming suit.

Now, that in itself is pure torture and is worthy of its very own blog entry. Nevertheless, I am in need of a new suit. I was trying to find one that a.) covers what needs to be covered after having 2 children b.) flatters the parts I want to show off c.) is comfortable and supportive and d.) is appropriate to wear to our community swim club. Sorry to say, that is a lot to ask of one suit. I was considering trying on a certain suit, but the sales woman stopped me in my tracks. "You are too sassy for that." Huh?

I did not know this woman. Never met her. We had never had coffee together or shared a night on the town. Yet, she wouldn't let me consider a suit because it wasn't sassy enough. I didn't think much of it at the time and moved along. However, later, when I began thinking back on it-I smiled. I love that she called me sassy. If I had to pick one word to describe myself, that would be it. It isn't always a good thing to be sassy and I think that is why I love it so much. Life is too short not to be EXACTLY who you are in every way! It took me quite awhile to figure this one out, but now I try to live into it. That is certainly what I want for my young children. I try to love them for exactly who they are- not who I thought they might be. (That task is easier on some days than others.)

Out of all the words to describe you...which would you choose? What is THE one word that describes you better than all the rest?

6.08.2011

This amazing company made a HUGE announcement yesterday. They are expanding their One for One program to include sunglasses.

For every pair of, ridiculously cute, sunglasses you buy-TOMS will donate medical treatment, prescription glasses, or sight-saving surgery to a patient in need. This movement is near and dear to my heart. Since Hank started wearing glasses (at age 3) a year ago, I continually think about children who cannot afford eye care or glasses. Please visit TOMS for more information on this life changing mission.

With that said, I am thinking I may need this pair! The Classic 201 in Tortoise.

6.07.2011

Dry Soda. Discovered this amazing soda recently and it is oh-so good! The flavors are fresh, fun and unique. Cucumber, Vanilla Bean, Juniper Berry, Lavender, Lemon Grass, Blood Orange, and Rhubarb. Personally, my favorites are Blood Orange and Vanilla bean. I love it over ice as I am getting dinner on the table. They have a SUPERB website that offers pairing recipes and cocktail recipes. The pairings range from Chocolate Tacos with the Lavender soda to Dungeness Crab Salad with Rhubarb soda.

6.04.2011

Let's be honest! I think walking a red carpet in a gorgeous Alexander McQueen gown would be A-mazing! Hair, make up, accessories (borrowed from Neil Lane), and a dress that is JUST perfect for me.

However, I live in reality (and mostly in my gym clothes). I am far removed from any Hollywood premiere, BUT anticipation does build in my home for the release of an epic blockbuster. The characters faced many deep, rooted personal shortcomings in the first film. We all fell in love with their honesty, humor, and determination! Who doesn't love when Lightning McQueen finally figures out that friends are more important that winning the Piston Cup? There may not be a red carpet.....but we shall be there opening night! (Well, maybe the opening day matinee!?!)

6.02.2011

Brilliant! Calling all those with an "e" reader device... you can borrow electronic books from your library. Who knew?

I have recently entered the ebook world, via our iPad 2. Our local library system loans you up to 20 titles for 21 days each! Ask at your library for details and if this service is available, but I am almost certain it will be for you too! There is a wait list for many of the "hot" titles, but you simply get an email when it is ready for you to download. It could not be easier! What great summer titles will you download?

For those of you using the King County Library System, there are easy to follow directions (for various electronic readers) on the KCLS web page. http://www.kcls.org/downloads/

6.01.2011

I am in Love (with a capital L) with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the two books that followed. Although it took me 2 tries and a good 150 pages to truly get into the first book, I am certifiably head-over-heels for Lisbeth Salander. Ok, yes, she is a bit nuts. Unorthodox, true. Totally bad ass, hell ya! I am empathic to her character, although I am sure not every reader feels the same. (I feel like a tiny sliver of Lisbeth resides somewhere deep inside me.)

Hollywood is in the final stages of making the first installment of this book trilogy. On Tuesday, a trailer was circulating for the upcoming movie, but was quickly pulled by Sony Pictures. Oh, how I want it to be GOOD! My hopes are high after seeing the total and complete transformation of Rooney Mara, the actress cast to play Lisbeth. Check at the Before and After shots of this makeover gone horribly "right"!

Before

After

The movie isn't set to release until December 21, 2011. The hype is building. Can it live up?